Are We Friends?
by Aiiro-bara
Summary: [Oneshot] Forty-five years after the Tantei split, Botan is sent to Makai to keep a certain youkai from dying before it's his time. HieiBotan


This takes place about fifty-ish years after the series ends. That's kind of why the times may seem a bit odd and people a little out of character, it's because they have had time to change how they act. I will try to keep it as realistic as possible. This gets a little morbid in parts, but that can't really be avoided.

Disclaimer: I own nothing related to Yu Yu Hakusho. Not even a damned plushie. Now, if I don't even own a plushie, how the hell can I own the manga/show?

Before we begin our performance of _"Are We Friend_s?", we ask that you turn off all cell phones, refrain from making loud or obnoxious noises, and refrain from using video recording devices and flash photography. Thank you, and enjoy the show.

* * *

The lights of the city below me seem to mirror the stars above that only I, and a few others, can see. Most cannot see past the light pollution of the city, nor do they really realize how much they have by simply being able to see the stars. It's one of the things I miss about being alive, the ability to see the stars any time I want to. Reikai doesn't have stars in its night sky. There is a moon, but nothing to give the sky any true life. 

Another thing that just plain bugs me about being a ferry girl is that I can outlive all my friends, but I will know exactly when they die. I have already had to ferry the souls of four of my best friends. Yusuke went the way he wanted to, in battle. Keiko departed this world not long after, of supposedly natural causes. Kazuma died almost two years ago. Yukina is still reeling from the loss of the one male, other than Hiei, whose company she truly valued. Shiziru outlived her brother, but not by much. I guess the smoking finally got to her. She had cancer of some sort, lung I think, when she died. Those four were probably the only souls that I have ever ferried that have just accepted the fact that they were dead upon seeing me.

The three youkai, Hiei, Kurama, and Yukina, are still alive. Hiei is off in Makai working for Mukuro, Kurama stopped working with Yomi, is now being the recluse and visiting his human family every three family reunions. He mostly lives by himself in the mountains, keeping to his true form and only taking the form of Suiichi only when entering into the presence of humans. Yukina is still in the temple, grieving for the one she loved and the loss of the company of her brother. Kurama visits her occasionally to keep her company and to take her mind off Kazuma's death.

Every few years, ever since he left, I have been flying over to Makai to see how Hiei is doing. I never let myself be seen, but I think he knows I visit him. That jagan of his probably comes in handy sometimes.

A beeping noise jolts me from my brooding and brings me back to reality. I search for my compact/communicator thingy. I flip it open and see the face of my boss, looking incredibly grim.

"Uh, oh. That's not a good face. What's up?" I try to smile, as I always do, but for some reason my muscles are just not cooperating. Why do I have the feeling that I'm going to have to ferry another one of my friends?

"Botan, this is important. I need you to go to Makai immediately." Damn, I hate being right sometimes. I'm just hoping Hiei hasn't gotten himself into anything fatal, again.

"Makai? Why for?" I try to play innocent; though I'm not sure it's working. My chibi boss just rolled his eyes at me. I knew my acting never has been that great, but he doesn't have to rub it in. I grimace.

"Botan, you must do this. I know it is hard but you must go. It's not his time to leave, but you know he has no ties to this world other than Yukina, and she already knows of their relation. He only refuses to kill himself because it is shameful." I hung my head; I know this very well.

"I'm going, I'm going. Just give me a minute." I shut the communicator thingy (I have such lovely vocabulary, ne?) and speed off to the barrier between Ningenkai and Makai. The wind stings my eyes, but I don't notice. They are already stinging with tears at the thought of loosing another one of my friends, especially one as dear to me as Hiei. He may not know it but the whole "forbidden child" thing about nobody ever loving or accepting him is complete bullshit. I know this as he was loved as a friend by Yusuke, amazingly enough, Kazuma, and Kurama. He is still loved as a brother by Yukina and, as for me; I have had decades to think this over. I love him but at the same time, I hate him. I hate him for leaving those he cared about, and those who cared about him, for the sake of a prophecy about his existence. I hate how he feels that nobody will notice, should he die. I believe that my world will fall if he is not alive. Even if I can no longer see him everyday, it fills my soul simply knowing he is alive

At the same time, however, I love him for being who he is. I love the way he was so overprotective of Yukina around Kazuma. I love the way he would risk his own life to save the lives and honor of his allies and friends. I love his code of honor, his refusal to do things that would seem as though they would be second nature to someone with the same upbringing as him. I love his respect towards women, even if he did call me a baka onna all the time. He had this certain respect that made his insults seem less harsh, even if the respect was hard to find. I love his sweet tooth, his certain affinity for the frozen treat of "sweet snow."

The barrier is approaching and I mentally prepare myself for whatever I might find. Koenma-sama gave me the coordinates of where Hiei had fallen. I should be able to find him easily enough, as long as my oar doesn't break down or something. I pull out the communicator again, bringing up the screen where it shows a map of the area where Hiei had fallen and a compass pointing the direction of the battle he was most likely in.

Seconds pass as the night sky of Makai passes by me on both sides and my feet brush mere meters above the treetops. Soon the beeping of the communicator intensifies and the blinking of the dot that is Hiei is directly below me. I drop into the trees only to be horrified by what I find. There are bodies everywhere, torn limb from limb. Blood covers the trees and ground, forcing me to stay on my oar as I search for the small form, which is Hiei. I soon find him, a small lump on the ground with spiky black hair, equally spiky white starburst, and purple eye in the middle of its forehead.

I fly over and drop off my oar, solidifying my body, as I cannot see Hiei's soul nearby. I kneel down next to his body and roll it over so that I can see his wounds. His stomach has been chopped raw, looking vaguely like hamburger meat; his left arm is at an awkward angle and he twitches every time it moves, even slightly. I guess that's a good sign, responding to pain means that he is still alive. I look over his body to find that he has taken a rather bad blow to the head, almost fracturing his skull, and has numerous lacerations and fractures on random bones throughout his body. I use what healing powers I have to stop the bleeding and repair as much damage as possible.

I guess I have gotten better at it since the time when I was keeping the eye on Keiko's forehead closed, but I still am lacking healing skills that I would need to do this entirely by magic. I guess it is back to the old-fashioned human routine, bandages and antiseptic spray. I take out what few bandages I have and look at them before putting them back. They truly are of no use if I can't clean the wounds and set the bones first. I set Hiei on my oar and begin to look around for some source of water.

I find one nearby, a hot spring to be exact. I lay him down next to it, rip off a piece of my kimono, and dip it into the water to clean the wounds on his head and stomach. Once the wet cloth touches his skin, though, his eyes open and he looks at me as though he sees me but doesn't really believe it. I just smile at him and continue to clean the wound on his stomach, as that is the worst one yet.

"Onna," he manages to gasp out, "what the hell are you doing here?"

"I came to save you, Hiei. I don't want to ferry another one of my friends any time soon."

He looks dumbstruck at my words. "You . . . you consider me one of your . . . friends? Why?"

"Yes I do, and I consider you one of my friends simply because you have proven yourself time and time again to be worthy, no, more than worthy of friendship. Even from a baka ferry onna."

He coughed and blood dribbled out of his mouth. I grimace and continue to clean his wound before finally bandaging it. I move slightly towards his head and he grunts as I bump a broken bone. "Sorry!" He just 'hn''s and closes his eyes against the pain, trying not to let on how much it hurts. I lift up his head and place it in my lap so I can clean the bleeding wound. For some reason, it looks like Hiei is blushing, but it's probably fever or something like that. Can fire demons even get fevers? I shrugged it off and just continued to dab the wound clean.

"Onna?" Hiei's voice stirs me out of my concentration on the wound.

"Yeah, Hiei?" It's odd; the only time I ever will answer to the word onna is when it's Hiei saying it. It might be because he is the only one who actually says that, but it also might be because of my feelings toward him.

"Why do you care if I live or die? It shouldn't be any of your concern. I don't deserve it." Damn. He was going all 'I don't deserve to be loved' again. This is one of the times that makes me wonder why I love him.

I sigh. "I don't know why I care; all I know is that I do." I set the cloth back on the ground and begin bandaging his head, infusing a little magic into the cloth to speed the healing. He doesn't answer, just continues brooding. An idea pops into my head. "Hey, Hiei?"

"Nani, onna?"

"When's the last time you've seen your sister?" He shrugs as much as he can with the injuries he has. I grin. "What do you think about going to see her? I could use her help in getting you fixed up and she's been depressed for the past two years, ever since Kazuma died."

"The oaf died? When did this happen? He was supposed to die at my hands, or by some unavoidable cause. Not by whatever he died of. That is why I didn't want him with my sister, he was mortal and I knew that she would out-live him."

I sigh, again. "He died in a car crash, surprisingly enough, this was expected. He was hit by a drunk driver and was killed instantly." Surprisingly enough, Hiei actually looked like he was somewhat upset by this. I figure now would be as good a time as ever to fix his arm. "Um, Hiei?"

"What?" He snaps. Ugh, bad mood. His mood swings are about as bad as some women are when they're PMSing.

"I was going to ask if you could let me set your arm." I keep my voice even, even though I am somewhat tempted to laugh. He 'hn''s and lets me move to his other side, not wincing as I touch his arm to see where it is broken. As much as tries to remain passive, his jaw clenches and his eyes narrow when I push on the bone to get it back in place. Once it is in place, his teeth unclench and he stops glaring at nothing and returns to glaring at me. Such is my life, a thankless job, unrequited love, and the ability to ferry all my best friends to Reikai when they die. I use my magic to knit the bone to the point where he can use it.

I stand and say, "Well, shall we go, or do you want to stay lying here for a little longer?" I know I shouldn't tease him, but I can't help it. His reactions are normally so amusing and make me feel like I can't get enough of him.

"I'll stay here." I should have known. The 'I'm not sure if I can walk' was just hanging in the air. I kneel back down next to him and smile down at him. I really do not know what possessed me to do this, but I put his head in my lap again.

"I can try to get Koenma to wire me some money so we can get a room at an inn for the night, if you want." He just grunts. (Which I take as a yes.)

"Do what you like, I don't care." He waves the newly healed arm as emphasis.

:OoOoOoOoO:

We eventually find an inn, it took several hours and twenty-three arguments, but we found one Koenma was willing to pay for. As much as I respect my boss, he really is a cheapskate sometimes. Hiei spent the entire time grumbling, either about having to walk or about my steering, or some other thing. I lost track of what he was whining about after the first fifteen minutes.

"Onna . . ." Hiei's voice stirred me from my thoughts. We had been in the room for only twenty minutes or so and already it was apparent that Hiei had become more talkative over the past forty-five years since I have spoken with him.

"Yes, Hiei?" If Hiei became more talkative, then I became quieter. Maybe the longer one is a ferry girl, the calmer their personalities become. Just look at Ayame, she's been a ferry girl for about twice as long as I have and she's so collected and quiet. I probably will never act that calm, too many people have their preconceived illusions of me to change my act.

"Who else is . . . gone?" His eyes are staring out the window, just as they used to when the tantei were still together. Although he is propped up on the bed, waiting for his demonic blood to heal his wounds, he still manages to look just as threatening. No, threatening is not the right word. Stoically dangerous is probably the best way to describe his look. Only, he looks less wound up, calmer, since forty-five years ago.

"Yusuke, Keiko, Kazuma, and Shiziru are all gone. The last two are only two years departed," I sigh. "That's the only thing I hate about my job, I'll never see them again unless I am allowed into the realm of the dead. Knowing Koenma that will _never_ happen." My bitterness is obvious in my voice. Not that I care, I am long past caring about who knows how bitter I am about this job. I knew that these days would come eventually, but I was really hoping that they would come later.

Hiei looks at me with a raised eyebrow. Probably because it is the first time he's ever heard me saying something without being all cheerful. He probably thought I love my job. To me, it's just a job that lets me keep on living when I was supposed to pass to the afterlife four centuries ago. Damn deity life spans.

"So the detective, the detective's onna, the oaf, and the oaf's sister are all departed from this plane?" I nod curtly, no longer caring about keeping up the happy façade that I've kept for so long. He sighs and turns his head away from me. "I envy them. They were able to achieve peace beyond this life before . . ." He trails off, leaving me guessing on what he was going to say.

"I'm going to go get something to eat from downstairs. Do you want anything?" He shrugs as best as he can and I grin at him. "I'll get you something anyways." He glares at me and I laugh as I walk out the door. I come back, about fifteen minutes later and in a rather bad mood. The owner of the nearest place that sold prepared food apparently thought I couldn't read the Makai Dialect that they have around here. He kept trying to convince me that the meat was fifteen L'argent (1), rather than the five L'argent the sign clearly stated. Even the other customer that I asked said that it was five Sen; well, the customer that could read.

When I reach the door of the room that Hiei and I were sharing for the night, I realize something. I dig through my pockets and find that I can't find it anywhere. "Where is that blasted key?" I continue to search for it before remembering that I can revert to my spirit form. I do so, but find that I cannot seem to carry the transformation to the food. I leave it there and pass through the door, only to find wards. How could I forget about the bloody wards?

"DAMN IT!" I manage to yell before I collapse, oblivious to the world around me.

:OoOoOoOoO:

"DAMN IT!" The onna's voice comes from by the door. I look over and see a shadowy form of Botan in front of the door, looking frustrated and weak, collapse. I open my jagan to see what happened to her. I delve into her mind and search her memories. _'"Where is that blasted key?" I continue to search for it before remembering that I can revert to my spirit form. I do so, but find that I cannot seem to carry the transformation to the food. I leave it there and pass through the door, only to find wards. How could I forget about the bloody wards?' _

So, she ran into the wards. I use my jagan to see how strong the wards are, they aren't very strong. They were only strong enough to send her into a nightmarish sleep, no permanent damage. Wait . . . _'nightmarish sleep'?_ Damn it!

I open her mind yet again, only this time I focus on her nightmares, not her memories.

:OoOoOoOoO/(Warning, this is gruesome but necessary to the plot. You need to know what she 'dreams' of.)/

_Botan stands in a field, a horrified look on her face. All around there are corpses. Corpses are nothing new to her, especially with her job, but it is to whom the corpses belong that horrifies her. There are demons' bodies everywhere, scattered in between are the bodies of her friends. To her right, is the body of an older-looking Yusuke, his right hand still in the shape of his rei gun. His body is charred and covered in a black, sticky substance. There are various weapons sticking out at odd angles, like a life-sized voodoo doll, or a demented pin-cushion. It is not the weapons that bother her though, it is the gaping holes where his stomach and brain used to be. _

_Just beyond Yusuke, the body of a gingitsune lies, twisted and broken. His silver hair and fur are matted with blood and sweat of both himself and his enemies. A golden eye is opened and clouded, staring at nothing yet everything. The other eye is closed; black, sticky blood covering the cheek below it. There is a spear through his chest, erupting from the confines of his ribcage right below his left collarbone. His heart is pierced and most of the right side of his body is burned away by the acidic blood of one of his enemies. His arms are twisted into impossible positions that would probably intrigue the kitsune, had he been alive. _

_To her left lies Kazuma, his body kneeling before three female corpses. His body is propped up by the halberd through his throat. There are arrows piercing his chest, making it somewhat questionable on whether he died due to the halberd, or the arrows; but not that questionable. The three bodies behind him all died from the arrows through their hearts, except for the teal-haired one. She has a sword through her gut and her head is at a very awkward angle to her neck. _

_She turns around and sees a short, dark-haired, dark-clothed, jaganed body. Gone are his warding bandages, leaving the arm with Kokuryuuha revealed, though the dragon is gone. He lies, slumped over onto his side, in a puddle of blackening blood. His chest heaves, regardless of the various wounds still leaking blood. Botan's face, which was a mask of blank horror, contorted to shock as she walked over to Hiei's still breathing body. Tears stream from her eyes as she looks upon the last living member of her best friends and the legendary Reikai Tantei. True, Koenma is one of her friends, but he could never be one of her closest friends._

_She kneels down by his body, ignoring the fact that her knees are soaking in his blood. "Wh-what happened?"_

_"What . . . does . . . it . . . look like?" Hiei pants, his lungs filled with blood, which dribbles out of his mouth when he breathes and bubbles when he speaks. His eyes are glazed with the look of those near death._

_"It looks like . . . like you fought a war and . . . and didn't win." The tears stream down her face faster and sobs rack her body, though Hiei doesn't seem to notice._

_He merely looks at her, not having the strength to glare. "That's . . . exactly . . . what . . . happened." He gasps and his eyes clear from a bloody, cloudy red, to their normal, bright crimson. The wounds on his body seem to fade and he stands, pulling her up with him. "Onna." Botan looks at him, not responding, unsure if what she is seeing is real._

_"Onna! Baka onna! Baka ferry onna! Botan! Snap out of it!" She finally accepts the fact that whatever realm she is in is not reality._

_"Hiei, where are we?" She asks, almost afraid of what the answer is going to be._

_"Your mind, onna," He looks at her lazily. "Now just focus on waking up, I'll be waiting." With those parting words, Hiei walks away and fades into the background of the misty battlefield._

:OoOoOoOoO:

I sit on the ground near her comatose, and now corporeal, body, leaning against the bed for support, as I cannot quite keep myself upright on my own. She stirs and opens her eyes slowly; almost as though the baka onna is still trying to convince herself that she would not end up in a place where everything was like her nightmare. _Why was it I who sent her over the edge? Was it because I was still living, or was it . . . no, it could not be that. Could it?_

She crawls over to me, her scent broadcasting her fear. She clings to my unharmed arm and bawls into my shoulder. It is rather awkward. The one woman, other than my sister, who sees me as someone worthy of any affection is inadvertently forcing my upper arm between her breasts as she cries on my shoulder. I'm not going to protest it though, too much time with Mukuro made sure that I would relish every bit of affection I receive. I grew so used to being subjected to the subtle affections of all of my former team members and their "friends" that the change back to the Makai was rather aggravating.

The transition brought into light a few facts, emotions really, that I had been ignoring. Not long after going to Mukuro's territory and officially becoming her heir, I realized how much I missed everyone. I would never admit that to anyone other than myself. I know, it doesn't seem like something I would do, but what's the point of denying oneself knowledge. If one knows one's weaknesses and admits (even if only to oneself) when people are stronger then oneself, it makes a person, youkai, whatever, stronger emotionally and mentally. Not only that, but it makes it easier when you are defeated and makes winning against someone you admit is stronger than you are all that much better.

Anyways, back on topic. Botan. Yeah, I have feelings for her. I have never tested the depth of those feelings, as I have not spoken to her for over forty-five years. Now though? Now I feel as though I could burst with joy, or be consumed by sorrow. My joy comes from her closeness, her warm affections. My sorrow, however, comes from knowing my love is unrequited. Nobody will ever love the Forbidden Child.

:OoOoOoOoO:

I continue to bawl into Hiei's shoulder, slightly surprised at how he doesn't seem to mind that I'm soaking his shirt. Damn it! I hate being this close to him, it just reminds me of what I can never have. I'm the Deity of Death, a cheerful Grim Reaper, a hyperactive ferry girl. I tell people they're dead while grinning my jaw off. I have kept up a façade for the past one and a half thousand years, ever since my training as a ferry girl ended.

If I didn't have breakdowns whenever I was alone for more than an hour, I would seriously think that my mask became my true face. Nobody has seen my true face for centuries and now, I'm bearing it to the only other person I trust who keeps up a façade.

I stop crying and let Hiei's arm go and look at him. He has a far-off look on his face, as if he's contemplating something, and he has a slight smile playing about his lips. Not his normal smirk, but an actual smile. A smile left untainted by malice, anger, or any cruel thoughts about Kuwabara or another enemy. For a moment, I wish that I could read his thoughts to see what he's thinking about. My gaze moves from his smile to his eyes, untouched by whatever is creating that smile. They hold sorrow, regret, longing, and lust. Wait . . . _lust_?

"Um, Hiei?" My voice is a little shaky, unsure about how he might react. He moves his eyes over to me, but they don't meet mine. They seem to be looking a little lower, somewhere about my chin. They're glazed over and hooded, almost like he's taken tranquilizers.

"Hn." His eyes continue to stare at me, or rather, my chin. I sigh. Baka fire demon, can't even talk like a normal person. Well, can but won't.

:OoOoOoOoO:

"Um, Hiei?" Her voice. Damn, my control is slipping. I've kept these emotions locked up for fifty years and I'm loosing control _now_? Of all times to loose control, it's when Botan is here. My eyes slide over to her, it's sapping all my strength to keep from holding her, kissing her, making her . . . no. I can't do that. I'm the Forbidden Child, the one who can never have what he loves, the one who can never be loved.

Damn, her lips are so . . . perfect. They're plump; a pale, glossy pink; one could even call them pouty. I 'hn' to let her know that I actually heard her but . . . oh gods, her lips, her eyes, her thin eyebrows raised ever so curiously at me. Fuck, I have got to stop looking at her or I'll completely loose control, broken ribs or not.

"Are you ill or something Hiei? You seem a little . . . out of it." Kami, onna. Don't talk, you're just making it harder for me. I'm too transfixed to look away, too weak to move away from you, and too in love to care. I try to shake my head, but I can't move. I try to say no, but my voice won't work. How do you do this to me? She raises an eyebrow, quirking her lips so irresistibly.

"How do you do this to me?" I whisper, not even realizing that I said it aloud until she looks at me, shocked.

:OoOoOoOoO:

"How do you do this to me?" His voice is lower than usual, and it has a husky texture to it. It's a voice that sends shivers down my spine as I look at him, shocked his voice even took on that quality. I look at him, clearly shocked. His eyes are a deeper red, like the colour of drying blood, and hooded slightly. I've never seen his eyes that colour before, they seem to pull me in.

His face draws closer to mine, his eyes actually meeting mine. My heart begins to race, my cheeks heat up (probably turning a colour similar to Hiei's normal eye colour), and I gasp. Before I can do anything, his lips brush softly against mine. An electric tingle runs down my spine. He pulls apart and looks away, as though he is afraid of rejection. My hand slowly raises itself to my lips as though to tell myself it really happened. My muddled mind can only think of one thing, _I was just kissed by Hiei!_

Once the haze retreats from my mind, I realize that he was probably afraid that I would reject him because he's the "Forbidden Child." He never realized that I don't care about what titles he was given at birth, they've helped shape him into the youkai that I love.

I move to where I'm in front of him. Actually, I'm kneeling above his knees. His face is still turned towards the wall, away from me. I smirk and lean over. My lips brush his still-blushing cheek and I plant butterfly kisses all the way to his lips, where my lips hungrily possess his. He doesn't respond for a few seconds, but I don't care. I have to show him that someone can love him. I have to show him that _I_love him.

He slowly responds to me and returns my kiss with what can only be described as slowly departing shyness. His kiss becomes more passionate and then he stops, pulling away.

"Why?" His voice is still husky, lusty.

I smile at his naiveté. "Making something forbidden just increases people's want of it. The forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden, which Adam and Eve consumed; the forbidden love between the Montague's and the Capulet's, which Romeo and Juliet still pursued. All tales of something being forbidden typically have people want it."

"Am I one of the forbidden 'things' that people want?" I sigh, he still doesn't get it. I move back to where I was sitting next to him earlier.

I lean over to his ear to whisper into it, "Ay. To me you are. Mon cher." I pull him into a tight embrace, careful not to push on any of his wounds. "You should rest, or your wounds will never heal."

With that sentiment, I smile and stand, holding out a hand to help him up from the floor where he is still sitting, stunned.

:OoOoOoOoO: (Three years later)

I smile as I set out the dishes for the company that I am expecting. It has been almost two years since I have seen Botan and Hiei. When I saw Botan, I was just expecting her to have come by to cheer me up, but I was so surprised to have seen Hiei there with her. I had not seen him for almost thirty years, when he had told me that he was my brother, before he left to become Mukuro's heir. Now, I am waiting for Kurama to come from his hideout in the mountains, and Botan and my brother to come from Makai.

I was not very surprised when Botan told me that she and my brother were going to become mates. Contrary to most appearances, I am no innocent. I know how to see these sorts of things in people, especially people that I know well. I hear the kettle whistle shrilly and stir me from my musings.

Soft footfalls coming towards the kitchen catch my attention as a tall, silver haired, white robed man enters and wraps his arms around my shoulders. I lean into his embrace, knowing that I need to move on as no amount of grieving will bring my husband back.

Kuwabara and I were never traditional mates, leaving him with a normal, ningen lifespan. I refused to allow him to see his friends and family die around him and know that he would forever be without them. I knew that, as a youkai, I would be able to move on easier than a human would, and I have moved on. A certain gingitsune managed to comfort my pain and ease my suffering.

"They are here." Kurama's deep, silky voice purrs. I smile and thank him, asking him to make the tea so I can greet my brother and sister-in-law. I slide the door to the temple open and see my brother, still clad in his dark pants and cloak with its white scarf and matching warding bandana covering his Jagan eye. Behind him is the familiar blue-haired ferry girl, clad in the soft gold kimono of a married woman. In her arms, a small bundle of pink cloth stirs.

"Oniisan, Oneesan. Welcome, Kurama has already arrived so please come in." They smile. Actually, Botan smiles and my brother nods. They enter behind me, taking a moment to remove their shoes, and follow me into the dining room. Kurama is already there and is smirking at the bundle in Botan's arms.

"What's her name?" He asks, still grinning as the blushing pair of proud parents.

Botan smiles, still blushing and pulls the blanket away from her daughter's face. "Kimi. Her name is Kimi."

* * *

And all is right in the world. Okay, so this is fifty years after the series, I had Hiei serve an extra five years to complete his probation while still being Mukuro's butt-monkey. The whole part with them being sort of OOC, that's because it's **50 **years since we last saw them. People change. This is 98 paragraphs, 5,744 words, and 11 pages long on Word (Story only)! WoOt! 

(1) L'argent – This actually means "money" in French; it is my monetary unit for the Makai.

Thank you for attending this performance. Please dispose of trash in their proper receptacles and file a review before you leave. Thank you and have a nice day!


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